Cat Questions and Answers on Training a Cat and Cat Behavior
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009Q: Are cats trainable?
A: Yes, cat training is not as hard as some cat owners take for granted it is. Cats probably are not as responsive to training as dogs are but they can be trained. Tasty treats offered as positive reinforcement is assuredly the surest method to train your cat.
Q: Why and how do kitties purr?
A: Grown kitties purr because they are happy and contented and to play on the emotions of humans — Can you resist a purring cat? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is usually assumed that the purring is a vibration of the vocal chords as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.
Q: Why are the reasons certain people are allergic to cats?
A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander generated from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies demonstrate an allergic reaction because their immune system is trying to combat the alien protein and creates histamines.
Q: How do you break undesirable cat behavior such as clawing?
A: The best way to change unwanted cat behavior is the same way the mother cat controls an errant kitten. This is by scuffing the cat. You firmly but gently grasp the cat by the scruff of the neck and hold it down until it calms down. You should do this at the time of the undesirable behavior.
Q: How do you litter train a cat?
A: You really shouldn’t need to do any training for a cat to make use of a litter pan, but if your previously litter trained cat has begun to avoid the litter box you need to find out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to go to the veterinarian. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have changed litter you may have to change back or sprinkle a little catnip in the litter to attract the cat to the new litter.
Q: How do you keep cats off the kitchen counter?
A: This is one of the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a difficult one. Cats like high spots and they often find food or food aromas on tables and counters. It is best to keep the counters clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.